Pleasant Hill says BYOB or pay the fee.

In a unanimous decision, Pleasant Hill City Council members agreed to adopt an ordinance banning single use plastic bags city-wide.

To help people ease into the change, the city is going to be doing a promo campaign to spread awareness and give out some free reusable bags. The campaign’s slogan is BYOB -bring your own bag.

Shoppers will be encouraged to bring their own bags or carry their items. If they still want bags they will have the option to purchase recycled paper bags or reusable plastic bags for 10 cents each. The proceeds from bags purchased at checkouts will go to the store.

The ban will go into effect on Feb. 4th, 2015, after which single use plastic bags are no longer allowed. The ban was passed as part of an ongoing effort to focus on environmental issues and sustainability.

“They’ll be distributing about 12,000 bags,” Public Information Officer Martin Nelis says. “About 3,000 have already been distributed.”

Nelis also said that in the upcoming weeks letters will be sent out to Pleasant Hill businesses, official notifications of the ban.

The months leading up to the ban should give businesses time to prepare, and to use up their current supply of disposable bags. In the event that a company still has too many bags left, they will have to apply for an extension to use the remaining stock.

The idea of a plastic bag ban is not a new one. Pleasant Hill is certainly not the first city to enact this sort of ban, in fact, they are only the 6th City in Contra Costa County (following Walnut Creek, San Pablo, El Cerrito, Pittsburg, and Richmond).

There are already over 100 jurisdictions in California that are enacting single-use bag bans, and on Aug. 29, a statewide bill passed both state assembly and senate votes. The bill is awaiting signature by Governor Jerry Brown, who said during this year’s gubernatorial debate, “I probably will sign it, yes.” The bill is expected to be signed by the end of September.

The passing of a city ordinance with an almost certain statewide bill may seem redundant, but there are a few differences. For example, the Pleasant Hill version is intended to effect all businesses simultaneously to stop the usage ASAP, whereas the state bill will be in phases (grocery stores and pharmacies in 2015, liquor and convenience stores in 2016).

Whether you love the free garbage bags or hate the sight in gutters, single-use plastic bags are soon to be part of California’s past. As administrative assistant Jessica Martin says, “I’ll miss the challenge of looping 15 bags over my arms to carry all the groceries in one trip.”